IRS 2008 R2: Total Readership flayed as a fallible readership currency
The Indian print industry is vehemently divided between those who support total readership (TR) and those who are for average issue readership (AIR). The Malayala Manorama team of <b>Varghese Chandy,</b> Senior General Manager, Marketing Operations, and <b>Tomson J Thundathil,</b> Manager, Marketing Research, speak their minds on why TR is a 'fallacy' for them.

Few rounds back, MRUC HAD introduced the concept of ‘Total Readership’ in IRS as if it is a totally new concept. In fact, NRS was always reporting total readership of publications as ‘Claimed Readership’ without giving much importance and not making a big noise. In the last two rounds, MRUC has replaced average issue readership (AIR) with total readership for their top line presentations during the release of the IRS data, whereas in the latest round, they have even gone to the extent of AIR being excluded from the cross-tab of the IRS Analyzer software.
But can the industry accept total readership as the currency for readership? How is it comparable with the currencies for other media like television and radio? Total readership is nothing but the total reach in a specified period. But total readership is not something that you arrive at through research. This is a hypothetical figure. For example, the total readership of Hindustan Times Delhi is 20.5 per cent, whereas the total reach even after adding 50 insertions is only 20.03 per cent. Do any of us go for 50 insertions in a daily while planning a campaign? But even if we do that, we cannot achieve what we claim as ‘Total Readership’.
I will be happy to claim that the reach of Malayala Manorama in Kerala is 43.1 per cent when I meet the advertisers and ad agencies. But when they do the media plan, even if they put 50 insertions, the reach of Malayala Manorama daily will be only 41.58 per cent. When I do the entire analysis and presentation based on total readership (since I cannot do cross tab using AIR), which is a non-attainable figure, the simple reply from the advertiser or agency will be that they don’t have the money to take 50 insertions on Malayala Manorama, and even if they do that they will not get this reach.
The basic requirement of any media currency is that it should give an indication on the number of people that can be reached through that media vehicle. That is what is indicated by AIR (print) and TRP (television). But as far as total readership is concerned, it doesn’t give any such indication. On the contrary, this gives the indication of maximum reach possible through that publication, but God knows with how many insertions.
Besides, when AIR represents average readership per one insertion, the number of insertions required to reach even near to the total readership will be different for different publications. So, it is not fair to compare the total readership of publications, forget those with different frequencies, but even for those with the same frequency. For any advertiser or ad agency, when they consider publications for media plan, he cannot select a publication based on the fact that after n insertions the publication will give you x per cent reach.
When the ratio between AIR and total readership is close to 1, that publication is considered as a strong one. But when we talk about the total readership of publications without mentioning AIR, this concept itself gets defeated.
In the initial period of readership research, it was ‘Through the Book Reading’ method that was used for measurement of readership. After that, when the number of titles increased, researchers started using AIR, and this is the most used readership currency in the world. But total readership is not a tested one and is not yet used as a readership currency. Moreover, unless you are able to use it for media planning and for comparison of publications, it does not make any sense.
If the only objective of projecting total readership is to make readership comparable with television reach (reported in IRS as last one week), then it would have been ideal to change the definition of television reach in IRS, but then, no media planner is planning television based on the reach in IRS. The currency for television planning is done based on TRP, which is available second by second. If this exercise is to prove that readership has gone up three times (from last round AIR to this round total readership), I don’t think there would be any takers for that. At the same time, total readership is dropping compared to last round total readership for most of the publications.
What we need is to find out if there is any better method to capture readership in a better way. Also, we need to change the definition of other media measurement in the readership survey to make it more comparable to the readership that what is there now.
(Varghese Chandy is Senior General Manager, Marketing Operations, Malayala Manorama, while Tomson J Thundathil is Manager, Marketing Research, Malayala Manorama.)
To contact Varghese Chandy, click here
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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